1996
1996 was a notable year in the wizarding world. Events January * c. 6 January , Chapter 21. Harry said they would have "a three-week break" for the holidays. If twenty-one days later was c. 8 January, and these events happened two days before, then it was c. 6 January.}}: Harry and Sirius spoke to Snape who had to tell that that he had orders from Dumbledore to teach Harry Occlumency in the new school term. * c. 7 January (Sunday): Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Fred, George, Ginny Weasley head back to Hogwarts School on the Knight Bus escorted by Lupin and Tonks. * c. 8 January (the next day): Harry's first Occlumency lesson. Harry successfully asked Cho Chang to go to Hogsmeade for Valentine's Day. Harry worked out that the door he had been dreaming about was in the Department of Mysteries. Ten Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban, including Bellatrix Lestrange. Broderick Bode was strangled to death by a Devil's Snare sent by Death Eaters to keep him from telling everyone he was trying to steal a weapon for Voldemort when he was Imperiused. * c. 9 January (Tuesday): The news broke of the Death Eaters who escaped Azkaban and Bode's death. Harry, Ron and Hermione found out that Hagrid was put on probation by Umbridge. * c. 10 January: Educational Decree Number Twenty-six was announced that banned teachers from telling students anything not connected to their subject. * c. 11 - 31 January , Chapter 25 - the events happened during the time "January seemed to be passing alarmingly" but before "February had arrived".}}: The whole school found out about Hagrid's probation. False rumours of the ten escaped Death Eaters stated they were in Hogsmeade or the Shrieking Shack. Every student that had family killed by the escaped ten Death Eaters get unwanted attention. The students began to accept Harry and Dumbledore's story because the government had concocted a bad story. ** Umbridge attended every teaching of Divination and Care of Magical Creatures to continue evaluating the teachers on probation. ** The students in the D.A. were very determined to learn since ten Death Eaters escaped. Neville Longbottom improved immensely. Harry taught the D.A. the Shield Charm. ** Harry's scar rarely stopped hurting and he continued to dream about the door. February * 14 February: The second Hogsmeade day of the year. Angelina Johnson had the whole Quidditch team spend the day at the Quidditch pitch. Harry took Cho Chang on a date but she talked about Cedric Diggory the whole time and they argued. Hermione arranged an interview for Harry in the Three Broomsticks Inn with Rita Skeeter to talk about what actually happened in Little Hangleton. * 16 February (the next Monday): Harry tells a few friends about the interview and they offer their support. The Gryffindor Quidditch practice was a failure. * 21 February (the next Saturday): Hufflepuff defeated Gryffindor 240-230. * 22 February (Sunday): The March edition of The Quibbler published Harry and Rita's interview. , Chapter 26 - Two days after the Saturday Quidditch game, Luna said the interview "came out yesterday, I asked Dad to send you a free copy." The day before was Sunday, one day after the Saturday game.}} * 23 February: Harry gets a copy of The Quibbler and lots of mail voicing support for him. Professor Umbridge gave him detention and banned him from going to Hogsmeade again, but other teachers rewarded Harry the whole day by giving him house points. Educational Decree Number Twenty-seven was enacted banning students from owning a copy of The Quibbler. * 24 February: Cho and Seamus Finnigan voiced support for Harry. Draco was angry because Harry had named Lucius a Death Eater. ** That night, Harry dreamed and saw Voldemort and Augustus Rookwood speaking about getting an object from a room that Bode had been Imperiused to get, but Rookwood claimed he would not have known how. Avery was to blame and Voldemort sent for Avery to be punished. * 25 February: Harry and Ron tell Hermione about Rookwood. March * c. 11 March , Chapter 26 - a "couple of weeks after his dream of Rookwood".}} (probably Monday , Chapter 27, Firenze was banished from the Centaur herd when he accepted the teaching job from Dumbledore. He stated that he left the Forbidden Forest "on Monday" because he had "agreed to work for Professor Dumbledore".}}): In Occlumency, Harry successfully fought it with a Shield Charm. Then he saw the door in the dream he had about Voldemort's weapon opened for the first time. ** Firenze was banished from the centaur herd in the Forbidden Forest when he accepted an offer of employment from Dumbledore. ** Professor Umbridge had Professor Trelawney sacked once the Ministry of Magic had signed her Order of Dismissal. Dumbledore stopped Umbridge from forcing Trelawney to leave the school completely and introduced Umbridge to the new Divination teacher he had found, Firenze which Umbridge looked unhappy about. * c. 13 March , Chapter 27 - "two days after the sacking of Professor Trelawney".}}: Harry, Ron and a few other fifth-years had their first Divination with the new teacher who tells Harry to tell Hagrid that the thing he's attempting was not working and he should abandon it, but he would not tell Harry what Hagrid's secret was. March - April * 14 March - early April , Chapter 27 - happened in time that "a dull March blurred into a squally April".}}: Harry tells Hagrid what Firenze said but Hagrid says he's wrong. Umbridge continued to attend every one of Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures to evaluate him. The O.W.L. exams approached and the fifth-years began to get stressed. Hannah Abbott needed a Calming Draught in Herbology. April * c. 23 April , Chapter 28 and 29, and that first day was three days after these events, then it had to be c. 24 April that these events happened.}}: Harry began teaching the D.A. the Patronus Charm. The same day, Seamus Finnigan attended a first ever session and Cho and Hermione achieved a corporeal Patronus. Marietta Edgecombe betrayed the D.A. to Umbridge but she caught Harry thanks to the Inquisitorial Squad's help. ** Fudge sacked Dumbledore when he "admitted" to Fudge that he founded Dumbledore's Army. Fudge then wanted to send him to Azkaban but Dumbledore managed to escape. Umbridge was made the new Headteacher of the school but the Headteacher's office locked her out. * c. 24 April , Chapter 28 and 29, and that first day was two days after these events, then it was c. 24 April that these events happened.}}: Educational Decree Number Twenty-eight was passed making Umbridge the official new Headteacher of the school. The Inquisitorial Squad were given permission to take points from anyone. ** Fred and George pushed one of them, Montague into a Vanishing Cabinet having given up on school and now determined to create mayhem. ** Fred and George cause mayhem for Umbridge even way into the night when flying piglets were let out on the grounds. Harry dreamed about the door again but he was woken up when he was about to open it. * c. 25 April , Chapter 28 and 29, and that first day was "the next day", then it had to be c. 25 April that these events happened.}}: Marietta Edgecombe had not left the hospital yet because the word "SNEAK" could not be taken off her face. Montague was finally found since he was thrown into the Vanishing Cabient yesterday. Harry looked into Snape's Pensieve and saw a memory of James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew bullying him, and Lily Evans defending him until he called her a "mudblood". Occlumency was indefinitely cancelled. * c. 26 April , Chapter 29, the book stated that "June had arrived" and that the O.W.L.s were "upon them". The exams do not start right at the beginning of June. It was then at least Thursday in June because Ernie Macmillan said he had worked Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The first Thursday in June was probably around 4 June. Exams started the next Monday, around 8 June. The first day of the Easter holidays was "six weeks until the exams" according to , Chapter 28, putting the first day of the holidays around 26 April.}} (Friday): First day of the Easter holidays. Harry tells Ron and Hermione what happened in Occlumency. Harry's opinion of James was lowered because of what he saw in the Pensieve. * c. 28 April (the next Sunday): Jack Sloper was knocked out by a bat in another failed Quidditch practice. Umbridge had started inspecting every package sent to students. Madam Pince threw Harry and Ginny out of the Library for eating chocolate. May * Final day of the Easter holidays , Chapter 29 stated they get the appointments near the end of the holidays, then it's the weekend and they spend it looking at careers. The next Monday was the first day back at school. It was probably around Friday that they got the appointments.}}: Near the end of the Easter holidays, the fifth-years get a date and time for their appointment for careers advice from their Head of House. * Saturday: The fifth-years begin spending the final two days of the holidays looking at wizarding careers. * c. 10 May (Sunday): Harry, Ron and Hermione debate potential careers. Fred and George tell Harry they will help him speak to Sirius in to Umbridge's office when they create a diversion the next day. , Chapter 29, Harry stated that he had searched for a way to speak to Sirius since around the day he and Ginny spoke about doing that. He and Ginny spoke about it around 28 April. He had searched for "a fortnight". 14 days after that was around 10 May.)}} * c. 11 May: Harry saw Hagrid going into the Forbidden Forest. Professor Umbridge attended Harry's careers advice and caused an argument when she said Harry would never manage to be an Auror, and Professor McGonagall defended him. Fred and George created a swamp in a corridor and Harry spoke to Sirius and Lupin who help him to understand James. ** Umbridge had permission to whip Fred and George but they had decided to leave the school and fly off on broomsticks for good. * c. 12 - 18 May , Chapter 30 - "within a week".}}: Fred and George's final day was now a legend of the school, but the story gets elaborated. The other students continue Fred and George's example, and a Niffler was put in Umbridge's office and she blamed Hagrid. Warrington and Pansy Parkinson of the Inquisitorial Squad get jinxed for helping Umbridge. Umbridge had no idea how to get rid of the swamp. * c. 18 May (Tuesday): Harry had another dream and he was in now the room he wanted to get in. He went to row 97 and was very close to finding the weapon Voldemort wanted. Later the day, Montague's parents arrived at the school angry. Harry, Ron and Hermione attended Charms. * c. 22 May (Saturday): Slytherin narrowly defeated Hufflepuff in the Quidditch game. , Chapter 30 - "if Slytherin lose to Hufflepuff next Saturday –". It was spoken the Tuesday before determined to have happened around 18 May. Then next Saturday was around 22 May.}} * c. 30 May , Chapter 30 - the game was to "take place on the last weekend of May." c. 22 May was Saturday. The final weekend of May had to happen on 29 (Saturday) and 30 May (Sunday) if you count from then.}} (Sunday): Gryffindor defeated Ravenclaw in the final Quidditch game of the year. Ron's confidence had improved and he saved many goals, winning Gryffindor the Quidditch Cup. Harry and Hermione were introduced to Hagrid's brother, Grawp who he was keeping in the Forbidden Forest. Ginny and Michael Corner broke up shortly after because he was very upset that Ravenclaw was defeated, and he started dating Cho Chang. * 31 May: Harry and Hermione tell Ron about Grawp and that they promised Hagrid they would teach Grawp how to speak English. June * c. 1 - 5 June: The fifth-years prepared for their O.W.L. exams starting next Monday. Teachers no longer gave out homework. Ernie Macmillan spent around eight hours every day researching notes. Eddie Carmichael started selling Baruffio's Brain Elixir that he claimed helped him through the exams, and Harold Dingle was selling powdered Dragon claw but Hermione confiscated them. Harry, Ron and Hermione get their exam timetable in their next Transfiguration. , Chapter 31, book stated that "June had arrived" and that the O.W.L.s were "upon them". The exams do not start right at the beginning of June. It was then at least Thursday in June because Ernie Macmillan said he had worked Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The first Thursday in June was probably around 4 June. Exams started the next Monday, around 8 June. From that, the dates of the next events have been found.}} ** c. 4 June (Thursday): In fifth-year Herbology, Ernie Macmillan asked Harry and Ron how many hours they spent researching their notes. ** c. 5 June (Friday): Draco Malfoy boasted in Potions that he knew Griselda Marchbanks, the O.W.L. examiner but Neville tells them he thought Draco was lying because he knew her. * c. 7 June (Sunday): Harry tested Hermione on Charms at lunch. Ron went through two years worth of notes. Then at dinner, the O.W.L. examiners arrived. * c. 8 June: The fifth-year students began their O.W.L. exams. They have the Charms theory and then practical exam. * c. 9 June: Harry forgets the definition of a Switching Spell in the Transfiguration theory exam but was successful at the Vanishing Spell that afternoon. Hannah Abbott multiplied a ferret into a flock of flamingo by accident and the exam had to be postponed for ten minutes. * c. 10 June: The Herbology O.W.L. exam took place. * c. 11 June (Thursday): The Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. exam was a very successful one for students who were part of the D.A. and Harry gained an extra point for showing the examiner the Patronus Charm which was an advanced kind of charm for a fifth-year. * c. 12 June (Friday): Hermione took the Study of Anicent Runes exam. Harry and Ron had the day off and spent it taking a break from working. Another Niffler was put in Umbridge's office. * c. 13 - 14 June (Saturday - Sunday): Harry and Ron prepared for their Potions exam on Monday. Hermione was angry about the Niffler because she thought Hagrid was going to be blamed again. * c. 15 June: The Potions exam was taken. * c. 16 June: The Care of Magical Creatures exam took place on the lawn at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. * c. 17 June: The Astronomy, Arithmancy and Divination exams were taken. * c. 18 June (Thursday): Just after midnight during the evening Astronomy exam, Umbridge and six Aurors arrested Hagrid. Professor McGonagall defended him and was Stunned. Hagrid eventually managed to run off and escaped. ** The fifth-year History of Magic O.W.L. exam was taken. Harry started dreaming and saw Voldemort had taken Sirius to the Ministry of Magic and he decided to go and save him and paid no attention to Hermione's warning that it might have been a trick. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna and Neville join him to find out if it was true. ** Umbridge found them communicating through her office. Harry managed to tell a Snape what he thought had happened to "Padfoot". Hermione faked what the weapon was and tricked Umbridge into going into the Forbidden Forest, introducing her to Grawp. Umbridge insulted the centaurs and they drag her off. ** Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna and Neville head to the Ministry of Magic. They found out what the weapon was but Death Eaters demanded it. The Battle of the Department of Mysteries was fought and the weapon was destroyed. The Order of the Phoenix eventually helped them but Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius Black. ** Harry hunted Bellatrix and she took him to Voldemort. Dumbledore and Voldemort fought in a duel and Voldemort took possession of Harry. Cornelius Fudge and others in the Ministry of Magic arrived and saw Voldemort. Fudge had to accept that he was actually back. Umbridge was sacked, Hagrid was given permission to go teach again and Dumbledore went back to the school now Headteacher again. The Death Eaters who fought the Order were sent to Azkaban, except Bellatrix who escaped. * 19 June (Friday): Dumbledore and Harry spoke for the first time in ages and Dumbledore advised Harry. Fudge gave an official statement and confirmed that Voldemort was back, and that the Dementors had joined the other side. The Second Wizarding War officially began. * 19 - 21 June: Flitwick finally got rid of the swamp that Fred and George had left but kept part of it in honour of what happened. * 21 June (Sunday): Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna and Neville read Fudge's official statement in the Hospital Wing. Draco and Harry taunted each other because of what happened to Lucius. Harry spoke to Hagrid who was back at the school. * Late June , Chapter 38, it's unknown how many days pass from 21 June to the end of term. It normally ended in June. The book states that "Ron and Hermione left the Hospital three days before the end of term", but it does not say if one day or two days etc. passed since the events of 21 June because it does not say "the next day", but term ended at least four days later on 25 June (if you count from the 21.).}}: ** 3 days before the end of term: Ron and Hermione left the Hospital Wing. ** 1 day before the end of term: Umbridge was chased out of the school when she left the Hospital Wing at dinnertime. Harry found the two-way mirror that Sirius had given him earlier in the year and then spoke to Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington and asked whether he would be a ghost now but found out that it's happened when a wizard was afraid of death. Luna searched for her things that went missing throughout the school year. ** Final day of term: Draco, Crabbe and Goyle tried to hurt Harry on the train home but members of the D.A. intervened and jinxed them. The Order of the Phoenix tell the Dursley family to treat Harry better otherwise they will have to intervene. July August September October November December Notes and sources Category:Years